London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

'No excuses now' - Who had the best transfer window?

'No excuses now' - Who had the best transfer window?

Premier League clubs have spent more than £1bn between them this summer - but who will be happiest now the transfer window is closed?

It may not have been the most exciting of deadline days but there are plenty of talking points now the transfer activity is done.

Man Utd ambition must bring title tilt


Manchester United have not held back in this window, saving the most thrilling addition until last with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford after 12 years away at Real Madrid and Juventus.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been given the sort of financial backing that demands United rival Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea for the title. No excuses now.

Jadon Sancho is an exciting attacking signing at £73m while Raphael Varane, brought in from Real Madrid in a deal that could be worth £42m, demonstrated his defensive authority amid the chaos of a winning debut at Wolves on Sunday.

And yet, have these eye-catching deals only covered up a glaring weakness that Solskjaer and United have failed to address - namely that they desperately need more quality in midfield?

United have certainly thrown their weight around in the market and Ronaldo is a huge coup but doubts remain about whether they have done enough to be serious title challengers.

Can Man City win title without a main striker?


Manager Pep Guardiola and his players did just that last year, with Sergio Aguero often missing, so who would seriously bet against Manchester City doing it again this season?

City spent £100m on British record signing Jack Grealish to give them another point of creativity but there was disappointment in their lengthy pursuit of Harry Kane, who is staying at Spurs, and the link with Cristiano Ronaldo ended with Manchester United's declaration of interest.

If one team, one squad, can pull this off, it is Manchester City - with Grealish adding an attacking X- factor. But there is no doubt the acquisition of Kane would have made them firm favourites to retain their title.

Chelsea's brilliant window cements status
Romelu Lukaku scored on his second Chelsea debut, against Arsenal

One final Chelsea flourish brought more midfield quality in loan signing Saul Niguez, from Atletico Madrid. Thomas Tuchel's European champions are in perfect shape to go for the Premier League title.

Romelu Lukaku was the showpiece signing, the striker who will really make the difference at £97.5m, but Chelsea have again dealt wisely - selling Tammy Abraham to Roma for £34m, Kurt Zouma to West Ham United for £25m, and Fikayo Tomori to AC Milan for around £24m. It has been a smart summer.

Chelsea could not prise defender Joules Kounde out of Sevilla but they have had a superb window - and a squad that can challenge on all fronts.

Have Liverpool done enough?


There was a fair amount of social media angst among Liverpool fans about their lack of deadline-day activity, which was mainly confined to the announcement of a new contract for captain Jordan Henderson.

Perhaps it was the big spending of rivals such as Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United that increased the anxiety. But manager Jurgen Klopp has never been a man to throw money around in a panic - and that suits the well-honed financial model of Fenway Sports Group, the club's American owner.

Liverpool did sign RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate for £35m, with the 22-year-old earmarked as one for the future, but the idea that Klopp or FSG would enter the race for, say, Kylian Mbappe came from the realms of fantasy.

In this instance, Liverpool's fans should trust the manager who has brought the Champions League and a first league title in 30 years to Anfield and a squad bolstered by the return to fitness of world-class talent such as Virgil van Dijk.

Benitez on a tight budget


Rafael Benitez has spoken on many occasions about Everton's ambition since he became the most controversial managerial appointment in the club's history. It is an ambition that has been well hidden in the summer transfer market.

Former Liverpool manager Benitez has only been given £1.7m to pay out on Demarai Gray, who has made an outstanding impression since signing from Bayer Leverkusen, as Everton pull in their horns after years of scattergun spending.

The other deals Benitez has done have all been free transfers - such as keeper Asmir Begovic and two players he knows well from his time at Newcastle United in Andros Townsend and Salomon Rondon.

Director of football Marcel Brands has shipped Moise Kean back to Juventus on loan but failed to find a buyer for James Rodriguez, who is not in Benitez's plans and who will now be an expensive item on Everton's wage bill. Porto were reluctant to take Rodriguez, scuppering a potential move for his fellow Colombian, the exciting winger Luis Diaz.

The problem of finding a long-term successor to captain Seamus Coleman remains unresolved.

Benitez has made a highly impressive start, winning two of his first three Premier League games and also receiving a very warm reception from Everton supporters before his first game at Goodison Park against Southampton.

Everton will rely heavily on his expertise with a thin squad - and any judgement on what he does for now must be placed in the context of his lack of spending in the summer window.

Capital investment?


In addition to Chelsea's outlay, there have been plenty of other deals done by London's Premier League clubs. Arsenal's heavy spending, and miserable start, has ensured there is a spotlight on them for all the wrong reasons.

The Gunners spent more than £100m, yet are bottom of the Premier League after three matches.

Mikel Arteta was certainly busy in the market. Ben White has been the big defensive buy at £50m from Brighton but has been out after testing positive for Covid-19. Midfielder Martin Odegaard is back from Real Madrid on a permanent basis. Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has arrived from Sheffield United, and Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has come in from Bologna.

But has Arteta made a real game-changing signing? Early evidence suggests not. A lot rests on that verdict being a hasty and incorrect one.

Spurs have done great business in tying Son Heung-min to a new contract while Kane will guarantee goals, now he is staying.

New boss Nuno Espirito Santo sits at the top of the table having brought in defensive powerhouse Cristian Romero from Atalanta, exciting winger Bryan Gil from Sevilla and added Barcelona defender Emerson Royal.

It took a while for things to get going at West Ham but manager David Moyes will be happy that he can build on his outstanding work, which took them to a sixth-place finish last season.

Moyes has brought in defender Kurt Zouma from Chelsea, the talented attacker Nikola Vlasic from CSKA Moscow and added another to his Czech contingent with a loan deal for international midfield man Alex Kral from Spartak Moscow.

West Ham's manager deserved strong backing after doing so much for the club - and he got it in the latter days of this window.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×